Typically, telecommunication devices are programmed at the factory to perform radio selection based on a static set of rules. For instance, a telecommunication device may be programmed to scan for signals of a certain network technology, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals before scanning for signals associated with other network technologies, such as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Further, for a given network technology, a telecommunication device may be programmed to search for certain frequency bands (e.g., 700 MHz for LTE) before others (e.g., 1900 MHz for LTE). This static method of radio selection is not optimal, however, especially as new radio technologies are introduced and spectrum refarming occurs in different areas.
Often, customers endure poor network connection experiences because of the longer time required in order to find and connect to the network when using the static method. For instance, if a user is in an area in which only GSM is available, but the telecommunication device must first scan for LTE and UMTS signals, a needless delay is inflicted on that user. In another example, other network technologies (e.g., LTE, UMTS) may be available to that user, but may be very congested, again resulting in poor experience as the user waits through connection attempts to these congested technologies before scanning for a network technology that is available and not congested (e.g., GSM). The ill effects of this static method don't end with poor user experience; they also result in a significant drain on battery resources.